#project1952 day 55

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Motion Picture and Television Magazine, August 1952. Debbie Reynolds, on the heels of her role in Singin' in the Rain, gets the cover.

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Life magazine, Aug 4th, 1952. More Armour canned meat recipes! There's one with bananas and lettuce and mayo! Do any of these actually look good? There's even one with little Jello molds! It's tempting to think about making one of these because they look so appalling! I'll think about it after my flu symptoms improve... Definitely not now!

[project1939]

Life magazine, August 4th, 1952. Uhhh... I don't think I like this ad. When I did my 1939 project, I would see nearly as many weight gaining products advertised as weight loss products. After almost two months of media from 1952, I've yet to see a single ad for a weight-gaining product. I haven't seen one example anywhere of a woman being told her romance woes would disappear if she wasn't so skinny.

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Life magazine, Aug 4th, 1952. No mouthwash, no moonlit face-pressing!

[project1939]

Day 55- Film: Penny Princess 

Release date: August 25th, 1952. 

Studio: Conquest Productions 

Genre: Come 

Director: Val Guest 

Producer: Earl St. John, Frank Godwin 

Actors: Dirk Bogarde, Yolande Donlan, Reginald Beckwith 

Plot Summary: The European microstate Lampidorra, situated between France, Switzerland, and Italy, is about to go broke. A wealthy American businessman offers to buy the whole country, but just when all the papers are signed, he drops dead. After a long search for any of his heirs, they settle upon Lindy Smith, a Macy's shop-girl who sells potato peelers. Now she must fly to Lampidorra to save the country.  

My Rating (out of five stars): ***½- **** 

For pure enjoyment, this film is worthy of four stars for me. I realize that might be a little generous, though. But I honestly loved this film- it’s just a simple absurdist comedy, and at that it is very successful. I giggled the whole way through. 

The Good: 

Yolande Donlan as Lindy Smith. I liked her- she was really the perfect lead for this kind of film. She’s definitely pretty, but her voice and delivery make her a great comic lead. She’d probably just be the funny side-kick in most films. 

Dick Bogarde as Tony Craig. He was also perfectly cast for me- he's adorable and charming. 

All the townsfolk. They were colorfully silly, and there was a lot of hilarious dry delivery in them. They had a lot of little asides and throwaway lines that cracked me up. 

The whole ridiculous concept of the film.  

Every time I thought things were already at peak silliness, something else would come along that made me laugh even more. There were a lot of running jokes that I got a kick out of. Even minor things like “two thousand true and solid citizens,” etc. 

The way we find out that Lampidorra’s entire economy is smuggling. These sweet-seeming people are so firm and matter-of-fact about it, even that made me laugh. 

The schneeze. When that element was introduced into the plot, it killed me. It’s an example of another one of those moments of “Can this movie get any more ridiculous? YES. Yes, it can.” (But in a good way!) 

The way the romance between Lindy and Tony was handled. If they tried to get too traditionally romantic, it wouldn’t have worked inside such a crazy little film. I thought they found a good happy medium, so we saw how much they cared about each other, but it wasn't overly expressed.

Some of the location shooting. I guess some of this was shot in Catalonia, and you definitely got a rural European vibe from it. It generally did not look like it was shot on a backlot. 

The Technicolor. This film would not have worked nearly as well if it was in black and white. It needed the vivid candy-box color of Technicolor to add to the fairytale aspect of it all. 

This was exactly the kind of movie I needed today. I’ve been basically sick in bed half the day, so this kind of gentle goofy humor was medicine. 

The Bad: 

I don’t know that I felt totally satisfied with the ending. (Spoilers!) I was kind of sad that Lindy and Tony just rushed off away from Lampidorra at the end. 

Who designed that movie poster? It doesn't capture the feeling of the film at all. It's so bland, and it tries to make Donlan into a cheesecake girl.

[project1939]

Day 55- TV and Radio: 

TV: 

The Beulah Show, season 3, episode 5, “The Great Cake,” August 19th, 1952. 

What’s My Line?, season 3, “Andy Devine,” August 24th, 1952. 

Radio: 

This is Your FBI, episode 386, “The Jolly Widow,” August 22nd, 1952. 

The Great Gildersleeve, “Cousin Emily,” August 27th, 1952. 

Andy Devine was on What’s My Line?, and I was fascinated to see how he would disguise his voice. Anyone who watches films from the 1930s-1950s will know him by his famous wobbling cracking voice alone. He did a good job hiding it, mostly just speaking very quietly and sticking to yes or no answers. And he fooled the panel for a long time! 

I enjoyed The Beulah Show more today, but it’s still pretty uncomfortable to watch. I did especially notice and appreciate the way the white people on the show treated Beulah, though. The family she works for seemed to honestly care about her. The dad at one point decided to give up some expensive sherry he’d been saving so Beulah could use it for a cake contest. “Well... if it’s for Beulah, I’ll do it!” I could sense the good intentions of the writers, but... the show is miles away from any kind of enlightenment, and I’m not trying to defend it in any way. Many people during the time it aired, both black and white, found much offensive about the show’s treatment of African Americans, and I agree with them. 

...And now a word from today’s best sponsor: The Equitable Life Assurance Society! Would you like to retire in peace and comfort when you’re 60? Would you like your children to get a good education? Or own your own home, free and clear? Well, you can, even on a relatively modest income! The Equitable Life Assurance Society has a staff of trained technicians, actuaries, and economists to help you achieve it! The only joke in here tonight is on America 70 years later. Thanks to Reaganomics, the destruction of labor unions, and wealth inequality that rivals the Gilded Age, you won’t ever have those things! I know. Buzzkill. 

[project1939]

Day 55: “What sort of poppycock is this?” 

50s slang of the day: “As her cousin, I hate to say this, but she soft soaps everybody.” (I hate to say this, but she flatters people just to get what she wants from them. She butters them up.) 

Best/worst quote of the day: “That’s schneeze. You’ve been eating schneeze. It’s a mixture of Lampidorrian schnapps and cheese.” 

Song of the day: “Good Morning Judge,” by Wynonie Harris. Since I might be getting the flu, I wanted to pick a fun “cheer me up song” today. When I think of an artist who makes me smile, I immediately think of Wynonie Harris. He’s the “Keep on Churnin’” guy, and all of his stuff is full of fun cheeky energy. Plus, he’s got a voice to sell your last dollar for. “Good Morning Judge” is all about the trouble he gets into dating sheriffs' daughters, not paying his taxes, and trying to avoid alimony. It’s a delight. 

Highlights: 

The incredibly silly movie that was just what I needed tonight. 

Andy Devine on What’s My Line? 

Lowlights: 

Ican’tbegettingtheflu! Ican’tbegettingtheflu!! 

I inadvertently saw some news in my Tumblr feed tonight about my great love, the Takarazuka Revue. It was absolutely horrible, and it’s hard not to think about it right now. I am sending out lots of positive thoughts into the universe, regardless of how cheesy or futile that might sound.

Just looking at the Creamy Pimiento Jello mold in the refrigerator today. It's bad enough on a normal today, but when you're queasy? God no! Get it away!

[project1939]

Day 56- Film: The Crimson Pirate 

Release date: August 27th, 1952. 

Studio: Warner Bros. 

Genre: Adventure comedy 

Director: Robert Siodmak 

Producer: Norman Deming, Harold Hecht, Burt Lancaster 

Actors: Burt Lancaster, Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok, Leslie Bradley, Torin Thatcher 

Plot Summary: In the late 1700s, the pirate Vallo and his crew get caught up in a revolution happening on a fictional Caribbean Island. They try to rescue the lead rebel “El Libre” and his daughter Consuela, bringing them to safety while fighting enemies on all sides. 

My Rating (out of five stars): *** ½ 

If you want to see a movie that is a non-stop barrage of tricks, action, and hijinks, absolutely look no further! This has more athleticism in it than most sports movies, and it never slows down. That alone makes it worth watching. 

The Good: 

The pure athleticism on display. It’s very entertaining to watch athletes having fun doing stunts and tricks, and that’s basically what this movie is all about. Watching Vallo and Ojo fly though the air, swinging and jumping and running all over, was a lot of fun.   

Not only do we get lots of stunts and tricks and hijinks, but it’s nearly non-stop. Every time you catch your breath, it all starts up again. 

The ships looked great. I’m laughably far from being any kind of expert on the subject, but they looked really cool to me. 

The score. It was gorgeous. 

The science in it! It was clearly spelled out at the end that the science and technology of the day would give the good guys the edge over the bad guys. 

The scientist guy himself. I loved the character of Professor Prudence. 

The comradery between Vallo and Ojo. Lancaster and Cravat had a long history of working together, and it shows. I loved watching them together. 

I liked that it was a comedy just as much as it was an action or adventure film. It made it much more enjoyable and gave it even more energy. 

Burt Lancaster in tight colonial era pants.  

The Bad: 

The romance. I just didn’t really buy the romance between Vallo and Consuelo. It felt either shoved in or tacked on, take your pick. 

Consuelo as a character, and the way women were portrayed in general. Women in this movie are definitely the “damsels in distress” type. And the “object to be won” type. They don’t have much agency or any kind of fleshed-out characteristics. 

Lancaster’s blonde hair. Why? 

It moved so rapidly sometimes it was hard to keep track of what was happening. It took me awhile to really get into the story and fully find my bearings. Sometimes that worked just because the action was fun, but sometimes it could be frustrating.